Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1887-04-22
HOW NOT TO DO IT.
WRONG IMPRESSIONS OF THE IN
TERsTATE LAW.

The Commission Rises TO EIplain-It
Cannot Decide any Case I'm Advance
And Can suspend Only One Section of
the Statute.
dispatch from Washington says; An ap.
pucation in writing has been made to the in.
terstate commerce commission for its answer
to the following questions, propounded on
behalf Of the order of railway conductors:
L Are railway companies prohibited from
issuing free transportation TO the immediate
families Of employees Of their own railwaysl
2. Arerailway companies prohibited from
issuing free or reduced transportation to
officers of as ociations composed exclusively
of railway employees while those officers are
temporarily out of railway service and ex-
clusively employed by those associationsi
3. May railway companies issue passes to
employees of other railways on the spplica-
tion of the employs; must such application
come from the officers Of the company by
which he is employedl
A. May railway companies issue free or
reduced transportation to those who make
railway services their business Of trade, while
temporarily out Of employmentand in search
of sltuationsl
5. May railway companies provide free
transportation for delegates to the annual
conventions of an association composed ex"
clusively Of railway employees, upon certif.'
Gates from the officers Of the association that
they are such representatives.
9. If free transportation may be furnished
10 representatives described in question 5,
must all such representatives be actually III
the employ of some railway, or may it in
clude those who may Ee temporarily out Of
employment, and those temporarily engaged
in other employmens, as officers of such as
sociationl
| Z. If free transportation is provided for
delegates described in question g. may it Inn
clude members of the immediate families of
delegates2
8. If free transportation or reduced rates
are provided for the representatives of any
one association, must the same be extended
10 all associations which are composed ex"
clusively of railway employees on application
Another application has been made to the
commisso on on behalf Of the Traders and
Travellers Union stating the system under
which an additional allowance of free bag
gage has been heretofore carried by COM
mercial travellers, which system the COM
mission is requested to examine carefully,
land advise us if there is any reason why
railroad company desiring to do so should
not enter into such an arrangement TO grant
under stated terms an increased allowance
! of free baggage"
These two petitions, the commissioners say,
|
similar applications which have been made.
They Indicate the general character of all,
and enable the commission to announce GER
| tain conclusions to which it has arrived. A
careful reading of the 'act to regulate COM
mel ce" under which this commission is or
ganized, will show to the petitioners and
others who have made similar applications
that no jurisdiction has been given us to
answer questions like those under consider
alton. An expression of our opinion upon
these subjects at this time being neither
duty imposed nor power conferred by the
statute, would be no more useful to the
public or the carriers than the opinion of
other men upon the same points.
Section empowers us, upon application
by common carrier, to authorize such COM
mon carrier, in special cases, to charge less
| for longer than for shorter distances over
the same line; and also 10 prescribe the ex-
tent of relief from the operation Of the for
NOR part of tho same section which o desig-
mated common carrier may from time to
time enjoy. 1t is obvious that applications
like those of the Railway Conductors and the
| Traders and Travellers Union have no re-
lation whatever to the duties imposed upon
us by section 4. And this is the only sec
ton of the law which the commission has
power to suspend or relax
Section 13 authorizes complaints to the
commission and confers jurisdiction to en-
tertain the same. 1t provides that any perA
son complaining of anything done or ON t.
ted to be done by any common carrier SUBJ
ject to the provisions of this act, in contra
vention Of the provisions thereof may
apply to said commission by petition, which
shall briefly state the facts. Notice and ops
opportunity for answer having been given,
unless satisfaction is made an investigation
is required. Upon such an investigation the
commission will necessarily entertain the
consideration of the question whether the
conduct complained of is or is not i'll contra
vention Of the provisions of the law and
! if so adjudged, 1t is authorized to issue no.
! tice enjoining the carrier from further viola
tion of the law, and to award reparation for
the injury done or both"
But neither the railway conductors nor
the traders and travel RS union complain
that any common carrier has violated the
law. The conductors say that they fear
they will not receive passes as heretofore,
and the traders and travellers say that they
fear commercial travellers will not be al.
lowed free transportation for $50 pounds of
extra baggage, as was allowed last year.
They present no complaint of any ything being
done or omitted in contrayention of the pro-
visions of the law. Congress has not taken
the management OF the railroads out of the
hands of the railroad companies